Lighting system



Jan. 19, 1943. A. A. BLUEMLE ETAL 2,309,039

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2" BLACKOUT 3 SERV/OE- INVENTORS Jan. 19, 1943. A. A. BLUEMLE ETAL 2,309,039

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYA Patented Jan. 19, 1943 LIGHTING SYSTEM Arnold A. Bluemle and William Earl Brown, Anderson, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Delaware Application February 11, 1942, Serial No. 430,414

2 Claims.

This invention relates to lighting systems for automotive vehicles and more particularly on vehicles used by the U. S. Army. Such vehicles are provided with regular head and tail lamps and stop indicating lamps oi usual brilliancy and also with other head, tail and stop indicating lamps of a special nature used for black-out purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting systemior controlling the distribution oi! current to the regular or service head, tail and stop lamps or to the black-out head, tail and stop lamps of a prime mover or propelling vehicle and also to the service tail and stop lamps or to the black-out tail and stop lamps of a trailer.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompany: ing drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram of a lighting system embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a chart showing three operating positions of the main lighting switch of Fig. l and the various circuits which are established in accordance with these three positions.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the main lighting switch of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an end view looking in the direction of arrow 6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 3-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line ||l--||| of Fi 5.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on line of Fig. 5.

The system shown in Fig. 1 includes a, main lighting switch 28 which comprises three groups of stationary and movable contacts. Group comprises a movable contact 2| engageable with stationary contacts 22, 23, 24 and 25. Group 2 comprises a movable contact 26 engageable with stationary contacts 21, 28, 29, 38, 3| and 32. Group 3 comprises a movable contact 34 engageable with stationary contacts 35, 36, 31, 38 and 33. Contacts 2 I, 26 and 34 are shown in the "ofP position in Fig. 1. They are moved into various "on positions concurrently through the use of an operating rod which will be described later in connection with the description or the construction of the switch 28.

Group of the switch contacts comprising contacts 2| through 25 are used to distribute current either to the black-out head and tail lamps or the service head and tail lamps of the prime mover vehicle. Contacts 22 and 23 are connected together by wire 48 with a battery 4|. Contact 24 is connected by wires 42 and 43 with black-out head lamps 44. Contact 24 is connected by wires 45 and 46 with black-out tail filaments 41. Contact 25 is connected by wire 48 with dimmer switch 48 having a movable contact 50 for connecting wire 48 either with wire 5| or with wire 52. Wire 5| is connected by wires 53 with service head lamp main or bright filaments 54. Wire 52 is connected by wire 55 with service head lamp depressed beam or dim filaments 56. Wire 51 connects terminal 25 with service tail lamp filament 58.

The second group of contacts 26 through 32 distribute current to a stop light switch and to a trailer tail lamp connector. Contacts 30, 3| and 32 are connected by strap 68 with contacts 23 and 22 and hence with battery 4|. Contacts 28 and 21 are connected together by strap 6| and by wire 62 with a stop lamp switch 63 which is normally open, but is closed whenever the brakes are applied. Contact 28 is connected by wire 28b with trailer tail lamp connector socket 64.

The third group of contacts 34 through 33 is employed for making connections between the stop light switch and the service or black-out stop lamps. For this purpose contacts 35 and 36 are connected together by strap 65 connected by wire 66 with wire 61 connected with stop light switch 63. Wire 61 is also connected with trailer stop lamp connector socket 68. Sockets 64 and 68 are mounted on a base 69. Contact 31 is connected by wire 18 with black-out stop light fllament 1|. Contacts 38 and 38 are connected together by strap 12 connected by wire 13 with service stop light filament 14.

Trailer tail lamp connector socket 64 is connected by plug 640 and by wire 64b with contact 64c of a distributor switch 88 mounted on the trailer. Trailer stop connector plug 68 is connected by plug 680, and wire 68b with contact 680. Switch 88 comprises two groups of stationary and movable contacts. One group comprises the stationary contact 640 and stationary contacts 8| and 82 and a movable contact 83 tor connecting contact 64c either with contact 82 as shown or with contact 8|. Another group of contacts of switch comprise contact 680 and contacts 84 and 88 and a movable contact adapted to connect contact 880 either with contact 88 as shown or with contact 84. Contact 8| of the first group is connected by wires 81 and 88 with trailer black-out -tail filaments 88. Contact 82 is connected by wire 88 with trailer service tail lamp filament 8|. Contact 84 is connected by wire 82 with trailer black-out stop lamp filament 88. Contact 88 is connected by wire 84 with trailer service stop lamp filament 88. The movable contacts 88 and 88 are rotatable about a common axis represented by the point 88 and are connected by insulating part 81 with an operating member 88. Contact 88 engages contacts 84c and 82 when contact 88 engages contacts 880 and 88. When contact 88 engages contacts 840 and 8i, contact 88 will engage contacts 88c and 84; therefore in the position of contacts 83 and 88 with switch 88 as shown, the service tail and service stop lamp filaments of the trailer will be connected with sockets 84 and 88 of connector base 88. In the other position of sockets 88 and 88 the black-out tail and blackout stop filaments of the trailer will be connected with sockets 84 and 88.

In the position of the movable contacts 2 I, 28 and 84 of the main switch 28 as shown in Fig. 1 no lamps are connected with the battery 4I. When these movable contacts are in the second or black-out position as indicated by the upper left-hand panel of Fig. 2, the following elements will be connected as indicated in the upper line of the right-hand panel of Fig. 2: prime mover black-out head lam 44 and black-out tail lamp filaments 41; prime mover black-out stop lamp filament II (which will burn when switch 88 is closed); trailer tail lamp terminal 840; trailer stop terminal 880. For a black-out the contacts 88 and 88 of switch 88 will be moved from the position shown to the other position thereby Eonnecting the trailer black-out tail filaments 88 and the trailer black-out stop filament 88 (which will burn when switch 88 is closed).

In the third or service position of contacts 2i, 28 and 84 of the main switch 28 as indicated in the middle left-hand panel of Fig. 2 the following elements will be connected as indicated by the middle line of the right-hand panel: prime mover service head filaments (either 84 or 58 depending on the position of contact 88 of dimmer contact 48); prime mover service tail lamp filament 88; prime mover service stop lamp I4 (which will burn when switch 88 is closed; trailer tail lamp switch contact 840; trailer stop lamp contact 680 (which will burn when switch. 88 is closed). When black-out is not required the switch 88 is in the position shown in Fig. 1; therefore the trailer service tail lamp filament 8| will burn; and the trailer service stop light filament 88 will burn when thes top light switch 83 is closed.

The fourth position of the contacts 2|, 26 and 84 of switch 28 is shown in the lower left-hand panel Fig. 2. This is the daylight driving position. As shown in the lower line of the righthand panel of Fig. 2, when the movable contacts of switch 28 are in the fourth position, the prime mover service stop lamp filament I4 will burn when the stop light switch 83 is closed and also the trailer service stop-light filament 88 which would be connected with the stationary contact 68c of switch 88 when driving in the daytime.

No lamps can be connected with the battery when the main switch is in the oiI" position. Not even the stop lights will burn when switch 88 is closed.

asoaoso The main lighting switch 28 will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 through 11. The metal dash or instrument panel I88 is apertured to receive the threaded shank "I of a metal casting I82 which slidably supports a rod I88 attached to a handle or knob I84. The threaded shank I8I receives a nut I88 which is tightened against a washer I88 to clamp a switch mounting bracket I81 against the back oi a dash I88. The mounting bracket I8! is welded at I88 and I88 to a sheet metal switch case II8 supporting a switch case back or cover plate III of insulating material. Plate III carries the various stationary contacts oi the switch in therelation shown in Fig. l. The terminal plates of Fig. 3 which have not been indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 are terminal plate 81a connecting contact 81 with wire I8; terminal plate 28a connecting contact 28 with wire 28b; terminal plate 21a connecting contact 21 with wire 82; terminal plate 280 connecting contact 28 with wires 81 and 48; plate 24a connecting contact 24 with wires 48 and 42. Switch back III is secured by tanks III of the case II8 bent into notches of the switch back.

Rod I88 is connected as shown in Figs. 5 and 10 with movable contact carriage II8 having a bottom I I8 supporting spring retainers I I1, H8 and H8 receiving respectively springs I28, I 2| and I22 which urge, toward the back III, insulating contact supporting blocks I28, I24 and I28 I tom H8.

then rod I88 supporting respectively the movable contacts 2|, 28 and 84. The diagram Fig. 1 indicates these contacts to be of triangular formation. The contacts are all of the same shape. The contact 2| is shown in plan view in Fig. 9. At the three corners of the triangular plate 2| there are three contact bosses 2Ia, 2Ib and 2Ic. The plate 2i has tangs 2| d and 2Ie received by notches i284 and I28e of the non-conducting block I28 having at each comer, a notch I28! for receiving a flange portion I28 integral with the carrier hot- The carrier bottom II8 has feet I21 shown in Figs. 8 and 11 which rest on the bottom of the switch case II8 when the switch is in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus the bottom I I8 of the carrier is spaced from the bottom of the case II8 to provide clearance for the lower ends of the spring retainers H1, H8 and H8 as shown in Fig. 5. The spring I2I presses downwardly on a detent block I88 a ball III which ratchets into and out of a plurality of ogietriiriligs I 82 defining the four positions 01' the s In order that the switch handle I84 will not be pulled inadvertently into the third or bright light position, a spring operated latch will operate to prevent movement of the knob I84 beyond the second or black-out position unless a button is depressed. For this purpose the rod I88 is provided with an elongated notch I48 (Figs. 8 and 7) which receives a latch bolt I 4| held in latching position by spring I 42 confined between a shoulder I48 of casting I82 and a shoulder I44 01' push-button I48 attached to the shank I48 of latch pin I. The notch I48 Is of such length as to permit movement of rod I88 from first or 03" position to second or black-out position. but no further. Rod I88 can be moved to third position or to fourth or stop-light only position provided the button I48 is pressed down so that the shank portion I48 of pin I4I comes adjacent th rod I 88. After button I48 is pushed down. may be moved to the third and fourth position indicated in the chart, Fig. 2.

Jan. 19, 1943. A. A. BLUEMLE ETAL 2,309,039

LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYA 

